Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone. The South African doctor who was the first to detect the COVID-19 omicron variant, Angelique Coetzee, described most of the symptoms as "extremely mild" when alerting people what to look out . Leading experts say you should take 3 upper respiratory symptoms seriously and test for COVID-19 sooner rather than later. "It is highly anticipated that a more targeted vaccine to current variants will be needed for the fall.". It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. "In children, Omicron can lead to gastrointestinal illnesses with symptoms including high fever, diarrhea, and vomiting, which may cause dehydration. ; And how to prevent infection by the BA.2.12.1 strain. But unlike delta, many patients are not losing their taste or smell. Some of the symptoms that one may experience in the stomach are - abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, and diarrhoea, rather than breathing issues, coughing, fever, etc. For some, symptoms last as much as 10 to 14 days. Those symptoms include sore throat, runny nose, aches and pains, a dry cough, fever, nausea and diarrhea. Laura Hensley is an award-winning lifestyle journalist who has worked in some of the largest newsrooms in Canada. Idaho lawmaker wants to criminalize the most-used COVID-19 vaccines, What is Orthrus? By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Joint pain. To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). So far, research shows that its more transmissible and causes less severe disease than earlier variants, like Delta. Antibodies From Vaccines vs. Antibodies From Natural Infection, How Vaccine Makers Are Tackling the Omicron Variant. O'Connor says that many emergency departments across Canada are offering virtual consultations, and she suggests people try that first before coming to hospital. Predict the closing value of sensex and win free subscription. "You should get tested for COVID-19 if you develop any of the 11 known COVID symptoms," says Dr . . More true than ever right now because sick, even a little bit sick, until proven otherwise with a test - that's COVID. "Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.". "Occasionally there can be nausea and diarrhea," Gulick said. ", "Even if it's a sore throat, no matter what it is," she said. In many parts of Canada, it can be extremely difficult to get access to PCR testing to determine if you have COVID and that's if you meet the criteria. A simple swab of the nose can tell you whether you have COVID-19 in about 15 minutes. By the time omicron arrived near the end of 2021, we had a more highly vaccinated population, says Laraine Washer, M.D., an infectious disease physician at University of Michigan. Individuals over the age of 50 or those considered to be clinically immunocompromised are encouraged to seek out a second booster dose of an mRNA vaccine now to keep infection risks low. She's the deputy medical director of the emergency departments at the University Health Network in Toronto. "It is clear that the disproportionate share of infections are those that are weathered at home," she says. 8. Published Jan 4, 2022. Testing, if you suspect you have COVID, can help curb spread and protect others. Occasionally there can be nausea and diarrhea, Gulick said. If you have the symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection, "right now the chances that it's Omicron are very, very high," said Oughton. "Especially in people who we're seeing these more mild breakthrough infections, we are definitely seeing sore throat be a predictor in that group," Arwady said. Inability to wake or stay awake. But notably, in those clinical trials, the severity of the side effects was very mild. This is expected. "What we're seeing with pretty early data is household attack rates are very, very high with Omicron, even compared to other variants of SARS-CoV-2, and that was already fairly high," said Oughton. And for the most part, that seems to hold true with omicron and its subvariants, including thenow-dominant BA.5. How to prevent infection by the BA.2.12.1 subvariant: "Masking is also important if you have something crucial on your schedule; a vacation, a graduation, or even a medical procedure where you need to be healthy for that important activity," Dr. Huang adds. Can Omicron symptoms be distinguished from Delta symptoms? Sore throat continues to be a symptom reported, particularly in mild breakthrough infections, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady previously stated. The incubation period for Omicron is shorter compared to previous variants, and is about three days, saysOughton, an infectious diseases specialist at Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. You may not lose your sense of . In fact, the most common omicron variant symptoms so far include muscle aches, fatigue, scratchy throat and night sweats, which are not overly severe, as I wrote for the Deseret News. But for the most part, most symptoms Rutherford was aware of were respiratory. A problem, however, is that Omicrons symptoms can overlap with that of the common cold and flu. Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness, Accenture exec says, How this 39-year-old earns $26,000 a year in California. Most people will have a saturation of between 97 and 100 per cent, she says. Muscle or body aches. Marketplace also found some N95s held up better than others in testing. The CDC announced the first known case of the omicron variant in the United States on Dec. 1, days after its . Pfizer's trial found that about 52% of participants that received the BA.1 shot experienced mild pain at the injection site, 8% experienced moderate pain and only 0.3% experienced severe pain. Kashif J. Piracha, MD, FACP, FASN, FNKF, is a practicing physician at Methodist Willowbrook Hospital. Sore throat. New . Still, omicron appears to cause less severe illness than previous variants, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes. Your session has expired, please login again. Diarrhea. Cough. All rights reserved, Judge: Oxford Schools, Staff Immune From Lawsuits Stemming From Michigan School Shooting, CTA Continues Efforts to Adapt Electric Buses to Winter's Challenges, how long should you quarantine with covid, New Ranking Names Most Expensive Cities In Illinois and These Chicago Suburbs Top the List, Chicago Suburb Lands on List of Happiest Places to Live,' Another Midwest City Makes Top 10, Stomach Bug Cases Surging, Sending People to Emergency Rooms in Chicago Area, Inmate Beaten to Death in Maximum Security Wing of Cook County Jail, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone. Aside from classic Covid-19 symptoms, according to Dr. Singh, some of the distinguishing symptoms of the Omicron variant are: runny nose. The CDC says to look for emergency warning signs for coronavirus. Diarrhea, a common symptom for earlier variants, may turn up. Chills. . Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. Half of them didnt offer the level of protection theyre supposed to. Coronavirus or Cold Symptoms: How Do They Compare? If you know or think you've got Omicron, stay home. She notes they can also be purchased online. If your test comes back positive, ask your doctor if youre eligible for a COVID-19 treatment, such as one of the new antivirals even if your symptoms are mild. Ask an Expert: Do I Really Need the Bivalent Booster? Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 caused the vast majority of COVID-19 infections in 2022. Symptoms of Omicron infection may be different, too. muscle aches, lethargy, and even on some occasions diarrhea and nausea, he said. Comments are welcome while open. When Can More People Get a Second COVID Booster? "We know that vaccine effectiveness against severe disease and death remains high for other Omicron [types] and likely also for BA.4 and 5," Walensky said. A PCR test (short for polymerase chain reaction), administered at doctors offices or testing sites, can also confirm your suspicions. Headache. Tweet. If you suspect Omicron infection, be sure to get tested as soon as possible. The omicron wave continues as reinfections become more common, with over 650 deaths reported on Aug. 2 and the daily average of COVID-19 related hospitalizations lingering around nearly 6,300, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Oops! That's how we treat it, that's how you should treat it.". Staring at a negative result, even with symptoms raging? "If any of these [symptoms] persist . Even if Omicron can feel like "just a cold to those fully vaccinated, it is much more transmissible. Further, 30 percent of patients with the Alpha variant (dominant in late 2020) experienced diarrhea. Not only are the symptoms from a BA.4 and BA.5 infection similar to other Omicron variants, but they also seem to have a similar severity, Dr. Passaretti and Dr. Rutherford said. Definitely, ideally, you'd be seeking out that test at five and I would do it again, you know, at the seven, potentially at that 10. "Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you." An increase in new cases is being linked to common symptoms related to this highly contagious variant, which may be indistinguishable from other seasonal conditions this spring. Related articles Omicron variant symptoms: The 'surprise' sign . Sore throat. Research also suggests that people who are infected with omicron aresick for shorter periods of timethan those with delta. CDC will continue to update this list as they learn more about the virus. Vaccination hesitancy and postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2: Is it time to reconsider? But health experts have noted a few differences between the omicron family and its predecessors. These symptoms, also listed by the CDC, can make the omicron infection look like a common cold. Loss of smell or taste. But at 92 per cent, we'd be wanting you to come in for further examination," she said. Diarrhea. Like the other Omicron strains that have been dominant in the U.S. since December 2021, experts say BA.4 and BA.5 mainly cause cold-like symptoms and respiratory or breathing issues. Unlike COVID-19, a cold is usually . Here's what we know about what a BA.4 or BA.5 infection can look like and whether symptoms are any more severe than other COVID-19 strains. He also says that on top of vaccines, its important people wear masks, practice social distancing and avoid indoor crowds whenever possible. If you can, isolate from the rest of your household. Other people may have muscle aches, fever and chills. But other common COVID-19 symptoms, like cough, fever, and loss of smell or taste, are still important signs to watch out for with the Omicron . Of those, 220.2 million are fully vaccinated. Night sweats, another symptom cited by a doctor at a media briefing in South Africa early in the country's Omicron wave, has been touted by tabloids as "a telltale sign which only happens at night . Why Are There So Many Omicron SubvariantsAnd What Can They Tell Us About the Future of the Pandemic? Both subvariants spread more quickly, maybe because people don't realize they are sick with the virus. However, many of the more common Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 symptoms are not severe, and you can often treat them at home. He said that symptoms such as runny nose, cough, headaches, and muscle aches remain the most common across different variants. The updated booster shots contain the same number of micrograms, with 15 targeting the original strain and the other 15 targeting BA.4 and BA.5. CBC Marketplace tested KN95 and KF94 masks sold online and at big box stores. You need to be cautiouseven though for most people who are vaccinated with a booster, they will likely experience only a mild disease," he said. What supplements should we really be taking? Fatigue or body aches . "This variant is about 25% more contagious than the original Omicron variant that entered the U.S. last fall seemingly accounting for about 40% of current cases," she tells Good Housekeeping. Omicron symptoms overlap with typical cold symptoms, so it's very important to get tested if you have cold-like symptoms. Runny or stuffy nose. It found five symptoms were the most common: Over 80% commonly reported a cough, while 72% experienced a sore throat. Again, everyone is different and will experience their own early symptoms, but these seem to be among the group reported be most patients. Trends in number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the US reported to the CDC, by state/territory. Redness and swelling at the injection site. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Vomiting. A new subvariant of the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that leads to a COVID-19 diagnosis, has overtaken earlier variations (including "stealth" Omicron) to likely become the most viral variant here in the United States. Mild or severe fatigue. You can treat the milder symptomscough, sore throat, runny noseat home. New Covid Boosters Were Released Before Human TestingBut Experts Say They're Still Safe, What to Know About COVID Reinfections as BA.5 Cases Continue to Rise, What You Should Know About BA.2, a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant. "It can drop a little bit lower than that and still be safe. According to the CDC, the most common symptoms of any variant of COVID-19 are: Fever or chills. It's also important to remember that COVID-19 affects everyone differently. pic.twitter.com/PcgVBYojKi. Reuters. Those shots were never released to the public, because BA.1 was quickly surpassed by other omicron subvariants but their design is extremely similar to the shots now available at pharmacies and clinics nationwide. Loss of appetite makes sense, too, if one of the main new symptoms is vomiting. These symptoms are a sign that the omicron variant's symptoms are unpredictable. "It was really surprising, a lot of these sick patients that I was seeing, their oxygen saturations were extremely low and they just realized how short of breath they were when they came in.". Susan Huang, M.D., the medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UCI Health in Orange County, indicates that current data available to healthcare providers suggest this latest Omicron subvariant is highly contagious. The Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 strains of COVID-19 became the most common forms of the COVID-19 virus in the U.S. in 2022. A new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), B.1.1.529 (Omicron) ( 1 ), was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by South Africa on November 24, 2021. Some may also experience changes in taste or smell." Some of the most specific available data on Omicron symptoms comes from the U.K. Zoe COVID Study App . Sneezing. Dr. Oughton says other warning signs include persistent fever that lasts at least two days, if not more, and heart palpitations. A study by the U.K.'s Health Security Agency comparing symptoms of omicron and delta found the occurrence of nausea and vomiting was about the same with both variants.